Zoo Prods. bolsters staff

Wagner, Drood added to reality shingle

Reality shingle Zoo Prods. has bolstered up its staff with a couple of key new hires.

Chris Wagner will be head of production, overseeing current Zoo series such as MTV’s West Virginia “Buck Wild,” “World’s Worst Tenants” and “Full Bounty” on Spike” and “Are You Normal, America?” on OWN.

Most recently Wagner was a line producer on Fox’s “The X Factor” freshman skein through the end of 2011 and then began at Zoo. He had previously collaborated with the Zoo team while working for Mark Burnett Prods. when the two prodco’s teamed up for “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?”

Also joining Zoo is Jessica Drood as head of legal and business affairs. Drood arrives from GSN, where Zoo has the updated version of gameshow “Lingo” on the air.

Shingle’s most recent project is CMT special and backdoor pilot “Last Dates Before I Do,” which is set to premiere Feb. 10. Show puts newlyweds to the test by encouraging them to date others before getting married.